Published in 1883, Brahms's Piano Trio in C major, Opus 87 had a difficult time convincing its audience in its early years. Though Robert Haven Schauffler's account that the piece was "for many decades despised and dejected" ought to be taken as slightly exaggerated, history seems to indicate that the piece was for a considerate amount of time less popular than the other two piano trios. Was it because, as William Murdoch proposes, people imagined it to be "difficult, abstruse Brahms, because it was not pouring out sentiment and big fat tunes?" Or was it because the four movements, while individually exciting, do not fuse into an indivisible whole, as Donald Ferguson suggests (falsely, if I may add my opinion, for if anything, the diversity of the movements individually only enhances the effect of the piece as a whole.)? Even the composer himself seemed to be dissatisfied with this piece. In his written conversations with Clara Schumann, Brahms often mentioned the trio only fleetingly while openly praising his F-major String Quintet, Opus 88, and at both the official and the unofficial premieres of the Trio he always had the String Quintet follow it. Nevertheless, the Trio slowly gained popularity and is nowadays regarded as a fine composition, if not his finest for piano trio.

The first movement of the piece is in sonata form. Thirds and fifths dominate the elegant and energetic opening theme, which is stated by the violin and the cello in octaves and quickly turns into a series of chromatic steps - a figure that prevails throughout the movement. The excitement increases as a variation of the opening theme, in form of a canon between cello and violin, is introduced, driving forward until the opening theme is restated in a more pompous manner, supported by added rhythmic intensity in the piano part. A long diminuendo follows, leading into a modulation to the dominant and the introduction of a wonderfully soft and calm melodic line in the piano that features chromatic steps somewhat reminiscent of the strings' part in the opening. The triplet-figure accompaniment in the left hand here is also new to this movement. Several measures later the two strings - again in unison - introduce a light, dolce triplet-quarter-quarter figure which immediately goes through a variation in rhythm, turning the triplet into a dotted-eighth and two thirty-second notes pattern that lends this passage a rather furious character. Reassuring the audience that the key is still G major, yet one more theme follows in the form of a light melody in the piano accompanied by pizzicato chords in hemiola in the cello. The closing theme follows in the form of a variation on part of the first theme of the secondary group, played at first by the strings and set on top of a triplet pedal that features ominous swells in the piano. When the instruments switch roles, the swells become more insistent and ultimately lead into what one might think is a repeat of the exposition. However, several measures into the theme, it is made clear that this false repeat is indeed the beginning of the development section.

The development largely focuses on expansion of the furious dotted-eighth and two thirty-second notes figure from the secondary group at first and on augmentation/ diminuition of the opening theme later into the section. A stunning and unexpected moment of singing beauty arises when the cello settles into the key of D flat Major for an espressivo and animato augmentation of the opening theme, arriving there by means of a deceptive cadence. This wonderful section lasts for only several measures, until the music changes from D flat Major to D flat minor (respelled as C sharp minor) and modulates according to the circle of fifths via F sharp and B to E. The following section, characterized by heavy fragmentation of the opening theme, functions as retransition into the recapitulation, which proceeds as one would expect it to. In the coda section, the themes in the first group are explored even more, and a final restatement of the opening theme brings the movement to an exuberant end.

The second movement is in the form of a theme and five variations. Set in the key of A minor (the relative minor to C Major), the 27-bar-long theme reveals the strong Hungarian influence in Brahms' writing through the characteristic sixteenth note - dotted eighth note figure or "snap". While the lamenting melody played almost completely in octaves by the strings certainly will capture the audience's attention, one should also note the syncopated chords in the piano as they provide the foundation for the second and fourth variations. Some attention should also be given to the structure of the final seven measures of the theme: they consist of a four bar phrase followed by its inversion, where the first measure of the inversion coincides with the fourth measure of the original phrase. Perhaps its purpose is to loosen up the heavy four-bar-pattern, but it in itself becomes another kind of prison as all but the last variation follow the same pattern. The first variation primarily focuses on the exploration of the snap in the form of augmentations. The second variation combines elements from both the theme and the piano accompaniment, melding them into a pleading melody played largely in syncopated rhythm. Variation 3 is a rhythmical and heavy treatment of the theme; its heavy chords are at times reminiscent of the Double Concerto. In sharp contrast to it lies the dolcissimo sempre variation 4, which is set in 6/8 rather than the 2/4 used exclusively up to this point. It is also the only variation written in a major key. The piano part returns to the idea of syncopation, avoiding emphasis of the strong beats by tying them to the preceding eighth notes. On top of this rhythmic foundation a sweet dialog develops between the strings, creating an effect that William Murdoch quite aptly compares to "two people [...] walking together, each thinking his own thoughts, yet in perfect harmony." The final variation is also in 6/8. The chordal accompaniments in the piano are transformed into arpeggios, while the harmonic movements remain identical. The strings once again engage in a dialog, citing variations on the theme. It is at the end of this variation and the movement that Brahms finally deviates from the seven-bar pattern in the last measures. Here, the sixth measure is extended by an additional three eighth notes, and the final chord is held over two measures, perhaps signifying final release from all the sorrows expressed throughout the movement.

The Scherzo movement, set in c minor, is perhaps the most difficult movement of the entire piece. In the beginning, all parts are marked pp sempre; the piano part in addition has the marking e leggiero, requiring utmost delicacy and lightness of touch from the pianist - hardly an easy task. Oh, but what an impression the movement makes: The muttering voices in the strings set against the swirling arpeggios in the piano instantly create a startling atmostphere of eerie, ghostly mysteriousness. "It might," says a critic, "- among an infinite number of interpretations - represent the troubled dreams of one who […] has sought distraction in Grimm's German Mythology, and nodding asleep, is attacked by imps, trolls, nixies, and all the minute genii who infest fire, air, earth, and water."

Rising seamlessly out of the Scherzo, the Trio section of the movement shifts key, tempo and style, thus providing some relaxation. A simple triadic, almost childishly naïve C Major theme presented by the violin marks the beginning of this section; the cello joins in two measures later, forming a duet between the two strings that almost lasts throughout the entire Trio, culminating in an exuberant unison restatement of the theme. The piano, providing the broad and sweeping foundation throughout this section, in the meanwhile sheds new light on the arpeggio figures and blocked chords found in the scherzo.

The final movement, allegro giocoso, is again in sonata form. As with the other three movements, the strings start out in unison; the light-hearted, five-measure long idea hints at the humor implied by the tempo marking. A brief, pp variation follows, assuming a rather inquisitive character, as if questioning "is this theme really fit for this movement?" The answer follows emphatically five measures later - in the form of a forte reprise of the opening theme. However, this jocular mood does not last long; a series of tonicizations paired with rhythmic confusion follows, leading into the presentation of a new theme in the key of e-minor, first by the piano, then again in unison by the strings. This material is not entirely novel though, as it retains the (dotted) quarter note/eighth note spirit of the opening theme. A heavily chromatic variation of this idea leads into the secondary subject, introduced by the cello and piano. Returning to the more jovial character of the opening of this movement, this theme is characterized by staccato eighth notes in the cello set against running triplets in the piano. Yet another variation on the opening theme takes the function of the closing theme and prepares the entrance of the development section.

The first section of the development largely focuses on the opening theme and the duplet/triplet figure from the secondary subject group, with occasional interjections of the secondary theme (which now assumes a triumphant character) in the first subject group. Immediately, the opening theme is restated, but with the piano playing the tune (with both hands in unison!), which now is infused with the triplet rhythm. The strings meanwhile play the same eighth-note chord accompaniment that the piano had played in the opening, and it is here that the connection between that accompaniment figure and the duplets in the duplet/triplet theme is made clear. Having established this connection, the development proceeds to expand on this idea of four eighth-note chords throughout the second half of the section, creating a calm but nonetheless humorous atmosphere ("HA-ha-ha-ha! HO-ho-ho-ho!"). At the same time, a pedal note on G is maintained throughout this section, seemingly preparing the return to C Major for the recapitulation, but Brahms being Brahms, he does so through a twist, tonicizing e minor (the relative minor of G Major), then proceeding through a IV7 - cadential 6/4 progression in the key of e minor, and finally returning to C Major by means of a deceptive cadence.

The recapitulation follows the standard format; what had been the transition into the development in the exposition is now replaced with a dramatic extension of the secondary theme. An augmentation of the first theme marks the beginning of the coda, lending it a calm and reflective character. Soon, however, tempo and intensity pick up again, and a final exuberant restatement of the theme in the lower registers with its inversion in the upper registers brings movement and piece to a dramatic end.